


Happy Birthday

by morgan_cian



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-05
Updated: 2013-07-05
Packaged: 2017-12-17 19:13:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/871036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgan_cian/pseuds/morgan_cian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> A simple birthday can change the course of things</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday

**Author's Note:**

>   References to For Gedda sort of and spoilers that are running rampant on the Internet for the new season

Nick paced back and forth waiting to talk to Grissom. Life had been hell. Warrick’s case had been solved but not avenged. Sara’s brief appearance had been bittersweet. But now life was just hell. The budget cutbacks meant no new personnel. He, Greg, and Catherine were covering the night shift, with Greg being pulled back into the lab more and more on the overrun of evidence. Grissom became more and more reclusive. From his inner sanctum, he ran the night shift as such, Catherine high end cases, Nick low end cases, with Greg assisting which ever was easiest to be pulled out of the field and into the lab.

 

Nick and his lover felt more and more down trodden. Even though they were still on the same shift, Greg’s lab work usually had him pulling doubles and triples, the only connection they had was to curl around one another in exhaustion. He knew he was about to ask for the moon, but damn it, it only came around once a year and whether or not his employer knew about their relationship or not, Nick was going to spend it with Greg.

 

“No, Nick.” Grissom did not look up from the case file.

 

“But, it’s his..” Nick frowned when the older CSI waved his hand dismissively.

 

“You two cannot be off at the same time.” Grissom looked up, his face stern. “Besides, Greg won’t be getting a day off for sometime. The lab has to operate.”

 

Nick felt rage well up in his gut, “So what does the lab deserve, huh? Blood?”

 

“That’s my final answer; you need to get out to Henderson.” Grissom went back to his computer.

 

“Yeah, that’s all I’m good for these days, right, Griss? Body dumps, B and E’s, the occasional robbery. Thanks, man, I appreciate it.” Nick bit off his words and stormed out of the office. His body was tight as whip.

 

Then he looked across the hall. He sagged. Greg had his head propped up on his fist as he waited for results. His slender lover had become painfully thin and haggard. He must have sensed Nick’s stare because he lifted his head and smiled. Nick returned the smile and pressed his fist against his chest, his three fingers forming “I love you.”

 

His overtired mind went into overdrive. He could still do something even if they weren’t together. Fuck the job, fuck Grissom, and fuck Vegas, he snarled inwardly. Maybe they didn’t need this anymore.

 

*~*

 

Greg stumbled into his and Nick’s apartment. They kept talking about a home and a dog, but they way they were working they wouldn’t be able to take care of either. He could not help but pout. No one remembered at work. It had become a hell hole, everyone scurrying about the lab not lifting their heads, no longer acknowledging each other.

 

Thank god for Nicky, he thought despondently, if it weren’t for his lover he would go insane. The man had become the shining light in his life. His man, he grinned tiredly, momentarily forgetting to be depressed. Because of their fucked up work schedules, Nick had been on shift when he clocked out. He had gotten a sweet kiss in the shadows before they had to separate and continue on. In his earlier days, he would have been miffed that a lover would have forgotten what day it was, but his time with Nick was so few and far between, anger and drama had no place.

 

So he was a year older, he had gotten a call from his mom and his Papa Olaf that should be enough. He dropped his keys on the counter and felt a wave of giddiness. There was a wrapped gift as well a note and a CD. Reading over the note, he pulled out the chocolate covered cup cake with a candle. He balanced it and his gift and went to his laptop.

 

He was licking chocolate off of his upper lip when his lover appeared on the screen. He had to smile; Nick looked uncomfortable in front of the web cam. The first words out of the man’s mouth was “no laughing, G.”

 

Cupcake forgotten, Greg rested his chin on his hand. With his other hand, he traced over Nick’s beloved features on the screen. Nick sang happy birthday to him, read to him some thoughts that he had jotted down, told him that he hoped that enjoyed his gift, and if all went well he would be home soon.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in person, baby.” Nick’s said hoarsely, “I just wanted to save the surprise. Just know that I love you more than life itself, Greg and wish that I could be with you now. I love you, baby.”

 

And with that the screen went dark.

 

Greg wiped the tears that had gathered. He must be exhausted to get misty eyed over his lover’s sweetness. Who was he kidding, he missed being with Nick and from the looks of things it wasn’t going to get any better. Did he really want to spend the rest of their lives with missed birthdays, anniversaries, and just plain missing life because of their jobs?

 

He opened the gift and found a picture of him and Nick staring up back at him. It was from a vacation a longtime ago. They had gone to remote cabin in the mountains of Vermont. He barely noticed the video games and DVD that was packed along with the frame. A small idea formed. Instead of carrying his exhausted ass to bed, he pulled up the internet and went looking. As ideas tumbled, he grabbed a notepad and began making detailed notes.

 

He was surrounded by wadded up paper, coffee cups, and printouts when he heard the keys in the door. His head snapped up and looked up at the clock. Holy shit, he was going have to be back at work in less than four hours.

 

Nick pulled up and stared at him dumbly. Greg stared back.

 

“Baby?” Nick was across the room in a shot, pulling Greg into his arms. “What are you doing up? Are you alright? You aren’t getting sick are you?” Nick fired the questions as his hands roamed over Greg’s body, assuring himself that his lover was okay physically.

 

Greg cupped Nick’s worried face and kissed him deeply. “I love you, Nicky. Thank you for a wonderful gift.” He sighed as Nick’s arms went about him and hugged him close.  He felt as if all was right in his world, he had made up his mind. Now he had to run it by his lover.

 

He pushed the notepad into Nick’s hands and waited. Nick frowned at first, and then his eyebrows shot upward. He dropped the notepad and gathered Greg close once again. “Are you sure about this?”

 

“As sure as my love for you, Tex,” Greg replied with a sleepy smile. 

 

Nick kissed him deeply, “I don’t want to miss out on anything else.”

 

“So we gonna do this?” Greg asked and then gasped as Nick lifted him off the ground.

 

“Yes, but after I give my baby his birthday spanking,” Nick growled out.

 

Their pants and moans drifted through the small apartment. They both ignored their cells and pagers.

 

*~*

 

“Be aware that Chapter 15 and 16 will be covered on Monday’s test.” Greg grinned at the resulting groans. “Don’t give me that. I haven’t had a single failure on the entrance exams. So study.”

 

His students filed out of the classroom. He was not going to get sappy over the little gifts that had collected on his desk. He was done for the day and he couldn’t wait to get home.

 

“Sanders,” Paulette Davison poked her head into his classroom. She was the advanced mathematics teacher from across the all. “A bunch of us are going to Shimmy’s after work. It’s your birthday; you’ll get a round on all of us. You game?”

 

He shoved his papers to grade into his messenger bag, grabbed his jacket, and gave his colleague a happy smile. “I’ll have to take a rain check.”

 

She snorted, “I told them beer at the pub wouldn’t tempt you away from your man. Nick’s probably be planning something for weeks.”

 

Greg laughed, “He’s definitely been up to something. Thank god my birthday fell on a Friday.”

 

Ms. Davison gave a wistful sigh, “I would say TMI, Sanders, but who am I kidding, two hot men hopelessly devoted to one another. I want all the details.”

 

He blew her a kiss, “You know I don’t kiss and tell.” He left with the parting shot but exiting the school was slow going with all the well wishes. Hell, he even had cards under the wipers of his car. He drove down the sleepy streets with his window rolled down and his music kept within the sound ordinance. Even if he got a complaint, he had an in with the local law enforcement.

 

Greg felt as if his heart would burst when he pulled up to the two story log cabin. It was on the outskirts of the small town with a large front yard and a fenced in back yard. He pulled into the garage beside Nick’s pick up. Rampart woofed at him when he opened the door, the golden retriever greeted him.

 

“So where is Nicky, boy?” He asked scrubbing his hands in Rampart’s thick coat. He left his stuff in the car. Work was the last thing on his mind. He had a lover to find. He dropped his keys on the small table as Rampart rushed through the house.

 

His heart swelled as he entered the kitchen. Nick turned and a slow smile spread over the rugged features. He wiped his hands and met Greg halfway. Greg sighed as his lover kissed him, pulling him close with a hand at his hip and the back of his head.

 

“Happy birthday, baby,” Nick whispered before lifting him in his arms.

 

Greg laughed and wrapped his legs about his man’s narrow hips, “What about presents, cake, you singing to me?”

 

Nick squeezed his ass as he was carried up the stairs and into their bedroom, “Baby boy, I have plans.”

 

Greg bounced in the middle of the bed, leaning back on his elbows. His heart stuttered. Nick’s eyes were dark with lust and love. Jeans hugged his narrow waist and strong thighs. The button down black shirt was rolled up to his forearms. The tired lines and gaunt despair was gone leaving behind a healthy tanned face with the beloved age lines that crinkled as he smiled.

 

It had been the right decision.

 

After they had fucked, they called in sick. They finally turned off their cell phones to ignore the lab’s demands. For shits and grins, they both fired off emails to a small town in Vermont.

 

Nick had wanted to know what it would take to work in the sheriff’s office.  Greg needed to know what he would have to do to be a school teacher. They included their resumes as attachments and fell into an exhausted heap, curled in each other’s arms unwilling to let go.

 

He was amazed when they got up that not only had they received responses but very detailed, interested responses. They took a second sick day and started formulating real plans. It was scary at how all of the pieces fell together.

 

They wanted their exodus from Vegas to be amicable. It sadly was not. Friends that they thought they had made their disgust clear at thought of their relationship. Catherine had just looked at them both and snorted, “Try another one, boys,” she had said, “You need to have a better excuse than that for disappearing for two days with no word.”

 

Grissom was the most removed. He acknowledged the relationship with detached interest. He made the patented overtures for them to stay. He had looked to Nick and his heart broke at the stark devastation on his lover’s face. Nick had always looked up to Grissom, and the ease at which they were dismissed hurt him deeply.

 

When they walked out of the lab hand in hand, Nick had straightened his shoulders. “It is for the best, baby. Now we can live our lives. No more missing out.”

 

Greg shook his head to clear out the old memories. He had much better things to look forward to. Nick unbuttoned his shirt slowly and shucked it off. Then he pressed Greg into the mattress stretching his body out over his lover’s.

 

“What kind of plans, Mr. Stokes?” Greg asked, trailing his fingers over Nick’s broad back. He groaned when Nick nipped his neck with his blunt teeth.

 

“Well, Mr. Sanders, plans include you not being able to sit down for the duration of the weekend,” Nick growled, cupping Greg’s groin through his pants. “I’m going to feed you, fuck you, and give thanks that my life was blessed through your birth, baby.”

 

Greg’s eyes rolled back. Who needed a fucking birthday cake?


End file.
